Proposed Pilgrimage Itinerary *

Aid to the Church in Need, Ireland

Pilgrimage of Solidarity with the Christians of the Holy Land

Friday October 2 - Arrive in the Holy Land
As pilgrims, we make our way to Dublin Airport and check-in for our Lufthansa flight to Tel Aviv via Frankfurt. On Arrival in the Holy Land, we will be met by a local Palestinian Christian guide who will accompany us for the pilgrimage and Michael Kelly of Aid to the Church in Need and author of An Irish Pilgrimage Guide to the Holy Land. We will board our coach for the short trip to Bethlehem, and check into the Christian-owned and managed Manger Square Hotel - just metres from where Jesus was born - for four nights with dinner and breakfast.

Saturday October 3 - Bethlehem
After breakfast, we will take the short walk to the Church of the Nativity where we will spend the morning and celebrate Mass for the intentions of all the pilgrims. Here we will visit the birthplace of Jesus, and pray at the Holy Manger as well as the chapels of St Joseph, St Jerome, the Holy Innocents and the Church of St Catherine. Leaving the Church of the Nativity, we will make our way to the Milk Grotto - by tradition where the Mother of God nursed the infant Jesus and a revered site of pilgrimage for couples hoping for a baby - before joining our diver and taking the short drive to the Shepherds Fields, where the angels proclaimed the birth of Jesus. After lunch with the Mayor of Bethlehem and local Christians, we will continue to Ein Karem and visit the Churches of the Visitation (where Mary met Elizabeth) and St John the Baptist. Afterwards, we will return to the hotel for dinner, and optional rosary at the Church of the Nativity.

Sunday October 4 - Jerusalem
After breakfast, we take the short drive to the holy city of Jerusalem and enter the Old City to the iconic Church of St Anne, and nearby visit the Pool of Bethesda - where Jesus healed a man paralysed for over 40 years. Close by, we will begin the Via Dolorosa - the Way of the Cross - and follow the stations of the cross through the markets and narrow streets of the Old City, the highlight for many pilgrims. The Via Dolorosa brings us to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the site of Calvary and the Lord's Tomb. Here we will celebrate Mass and take some time to reflect upon this site, sacred to Christians for more than 2,000 years. Afterwards, we will enjoy some free time in Jerusalem to reflect and have lunch, before visiting the Western Wall - the last remaining part of the Temple where Jesus as a child taught the Jewish elders and later expelled the moneychangers. Afterwards, we will return to the hotel for dinner and conversation with local Christian families about life in the Holy Land.

Monday October 5 - Mount of Olives
After breakfast, we will drive to the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem where we will take our group photograph and experience the view of the Old City that Jesus wept over as recorded in the Gospel. We will make our way to the highest point on the Mount of Olives to the Dome of the Ascension that marks the site where Christ ascended into heaven. Afterwards, we will take the short walk to the Pater Noster Church which marks the site where Jesus taught the disciples the �Our Father' when they pleaded with him to teach them to pray. We will then prayerfully make our way down Palm Sunday Road - the route Jesus took on the First Holy Week - visiting Dominus Flevit (where the Church commemorates the Lord weeping over Jerusalem), the Garden of Gethsemane, and the Church of the Assumption which was funded by Catholics from all over the world, including from Ireland. After lunch, we will celebrate Mass in the Church of St Peter in Gallicantu, where St Peter denied Jesus three times and see the dungeon where Jesus was held the night of the first Holy Thursday. We will then walk to Mount Zion and visit the Church of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary where the Mother of God ended her earthly life, the Tomb of King David and the Room of the Last Supper. Afterwords, we will return to the hotel for dinner and a chance to hear about some of the work of Aid to the Church in Need in supporting Christians in the Holy Land.

Tuesday October 6 - Jericho and Bethany
This morning we leave Bethlehem and visit Bethany for Mass, the place where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. After an opportunity to visit the Tomb of St Lazarus, we will drive via the Baptismal Site where Jesus was baptised by St John the Baptist. Here we will have the opportunity to renew our baptismal vows, before proceeding to the Dead Sea. At the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth, we will take some time to relax and float on the water near Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Afterwards, we will continue to Jericho - the oldest city on earth - to see the Mount of Temptation where Jesus was tempted by the devil, and the Sycamore tree of Zacchaeus. We will then drive along the Jordan Valley to Nazareth and check into the Christian-owned and managed Legacy Hotel for four nights, dinner and breakfast.

Wednesday October 7 - Nazareth and Cana in Galilee
After breakfast, we will spend our morning exploring the city where Jesus lived as a child. We make our way on foot to the Basilica of the Annunciation to celebrate Mass. Visiting the lower level of the basilica, we will see the remains of Mary's house and where the Angel Gabriel visited her. Here inscribed on the altar are the Latin words �Here the Word was made flesh'. Adjacent to the basilica is St Joseph's Church, the site of Joseph's workshop and the house of the Holy Family. A short walk from the basilica is Mary's Well, here we will have the opportunity to draw water from the same well as the Virgin Mary. After some time for a traditional lunch, we will take the short coach journey to Cana. Here we will visit the Wedding Church, the site of Jesus' first miracle, turning the water to wine. Couples on the pilgrimage can take part in the ceremony to renew their wedding vows, while special prayers will be offered for spouses who are deceased or cannot be present. In the lower level of the church, we will see artifacts from the site before having an opportunity to taste and purchase some wine from this sacred site. Afterwards, we will return to Nazareth for dinner in our hotel. In the evening, there is the opportunity to participate in Eucharistic Adoration at the site where the Word became flesh.

Thursday October 8 - Sea of Galilee
This morning we will make our way to the Mount of Beatitudes overlooking the Sea of Galilee, Capernaum and Tabgha. After some time to listen to the reading of the Sermon on the Mount, we will continue to Capernaum and see the old synagogue and the excavations of St Peter's house. Afterwards, we will visit the site of the multiplication of the loaves and fish at Tabgha, and the Church of the Primacy St of Peter. We will then enjoy lunch on the shore of the Sea of Galilee before taking a boat trip on the lake, and reflect on the experiences of Jesus and his disciples' on the water. Before returning to the hotel, we will visit Magdala and celebrate Mass in the chapel at the home of Mary Magdalene. In the evening, we have the opportunity to participate in the candlelit rosary procession at the Basilica of the Annunciation.

Friday October 9 - Mount Tabor
After breakfast, we will drive to Mount Tabor and ascend by taxi for Mass at the Church of the Transfiguration where Jesus is transfigured and speaks to Moses and Elijah. We have some time to enjoy the view of the Valley of Armageddon before returning to Nazareth for free time and dinner at the hotel.

Saturday October 10 - Depart Tel Aviv
On our final day, we will have an early breakfast before taking our coach to Tel Aviv for the return flight to Dublin via Frankfurt.